I made the sauces and started precooking the veggies he had already chopped. Each cube and slice was militarily precise. Once everything was ready, we layered the ingredients into two pans. I did the first while Torran copied me on the second. With his help, it’d taken less time than I’d expected, so I covered both pans and put them in the cooler. I set a reminder for an hour out.

“Thank you for your help,” I said, and I meant it.

“You are welcome.” He looked like he wanted to say something else, but his head jerked to the side as if he’d heard a distant sound, and he frowned.

“We’ve got a problem,” Kee said over the comm at the same time.

Dread tightened my stomach. “What kind of problem?” I asked subvocally.

“Eli’s going to flatten Varro if you don’t get down here. We’re in the gym.”

“He’d better fucking not,” I growled, sprinting for the door. I tried to raise Eli’s comm, but he’d disabled connections. I was vaguely aware of Torran on my heels. Rather than taking the stairs, I slid down the access ladder, landing hard on the deck below. My bad knee twinged, but I ignored it.

I slammed into the gym and took in the scene in a single glance. Chira and Havil stood off to one side. Chira was scowling but not intervening. Havil winced with every blow. Kee stood on the other side, biting her lip. In the middle of the room, Eli and Varro circled each other on the sparring mats.

They were equally tall and muscular. The fight might have started as sparring, but now they looked like they were trying to beat the shit out of each other. Both had split lips and Eli’s eye was already swelling. Varro’s jaw was red, and he favored his right side.

I considered letting the stupid idiots fight it out, but I needed to get this situation under control immediately or the Valoffs would never respect my command. Without a word, I drew my plas blade, flicked the setting to nonlethal, and activated the energy blade. It came out blue, confirming its nonlethal status.

I waded into the fray and walloped Eli with the blade. He went down with a surprised shout. It might be nonlethal, but it still hurt like being struck by lightning. Varro rounded on me and threw a punch. I shifted to take it on my shoulder, but it never landed. Varro stood frozen, his eyes wide.

I turned to Torran. “Let him go,” I bit out.

Torran narrowed his eyes at me, expression tight. “No.”

All of the tentative camaraderie I’d felt for the last couple of hours evaporated. “My ship, my rules, General Fletcher. Let him go, or I’m going to shock him where he stands.”

Varro shifted back, holding up his hands. “I didn’t—”